Steps for Collaborative Development of a Strategic Plan

STEPS FOR COLLABORATIVE DEVELOPMENT OF A STRATEGIC PLAN

It may be helpful first to map out your campus’ strategic planning process with your consultant. You can then determine which steps of the process you would like to involve the consultant. Many of the activities in Part II lend themselves well to involving an outside facilitator/consultant. Again, the order of these steps might change campus-to-campus.

PART I:

Planning for the Strategic Planning Process - Conducted by the Service Learning Director and Others as Desired.

1.  Assess current climate/context for developing a strategic plan.

2.  Assess Stakeholder s and Map out Stakeholder Roles (Decision Makers, Input Providers, Feedback Providers, Plan Approvers) - See “Stakeholders” Document.

3.  Identify Guiding Question to be Answered through Strategic Planning Process/Define Terms. One question the Chancellor’s Office would like your plan to answer is “How will your office participate in your campus’ effort in contributing to the public good?”

4.  Establish timeline and meeting schedule.

5.  Begin to gather preliminary information on the current context (see “History Context” document).

·  Form Design Team (about 7-12 people representing all stakeholder groups who can commit to on-going process). Identify possible benefits to stakeholders for being on the design team. For example, it can benefit those who participate through their reward structures. Faculty can include their involvement in their RTP process (University Service). Explore possibilities for compensating participants in some way for their involvement?

6.  Convene Design Team (Begin to build community, introduce Team to strategic planning process and draft plans for obtaining input, feedback and approval throughout the process (e.g using existing meetings/ workshops/institutes/forums, one-on-one interviews, informal conversations).

PART II:

Design Team Activities (others may provide input and feedback in these elements):

1.  Tell and reflect on the history of engagement on your campus (see “History Context” document).

2.  Assess the current context on your campus (see “HistoryContext” document).

3.  Collectively draft a shared vision.

4.  Revise/affirm mission.

5.  Articulate values to guide what work will be done and how the work will be done .

6.  Identify critical obstacles to the vision.

7.  Establish long and short term strategic goals or strategies/initiatives/objectives.

8.  Identify indicators of success/benchmarks/measurable outcomes.

9.  Assess infrastructure needed to carry out the work in the plan.

10.  Develop an implementation plan – how will the plan be implemented and by whom?

11.  Determine how the plan will be shared and with whom.

12.  Determine how the plan will be monitored , revisited, and updated.

1

Developed for the California State University Chancellor’s Office of Community Service Learning by Kathleen Rice, Ph.D. Informed by the work of The Grove Consultants International and the Institute for Cultural Affairs.